Jordan Hansen
Iowa entered the 2016 iteration of the Cy-Hawk series against rival Iowa State on a mission.
The Cyclone fans and players were amped up for the game, coming off a loss to Northern Iowa and wanting to prove something against its biggest rival, the Hawkeyes. It was also Matt Campbell’s chance to make his first big impression as the Iowa State head coach, and there was renewed importance to the game.
The Hawkeyes needed to play well, and it’s exactly what they did.
From the beginning of the game, it was obvious how things were going to go. After trading punts during the first two possessions, the Hawkeyes scored and kept scoring until they were up 28-3 at halftime.
So many games between the Hawkeyes and the Cyclones have come in unexpected, even strange ways. It’s almost an expectation.
Speaking of expectations, the win brightens the future considerably for the Hawkeyes. In the years Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz beats Iowa State, things generally go better for Iowa.
Seriously, there’s evidence. Under Ferentz, when Iowa loses to the Cyclones, its season win percentage is .481. During the years the Hawkeyes have won (not including this year) its win percentage jumps up to .718.
Iowa players have talked about getting back to the Big Ten Championship. They know how close they were to winning that game last year. A common question for the Hawkeyes this season has been if last year was a fluke.
An emphatic win — on a big recruiting weekend, to boot — is just another sign the Hawkeyes are hitting the goals they set for themselves during the off-season. Winning rivalry games is something Iowa takes huge amounts of pride in.
Iowa displays all the rivalry trophies in the main concourse of its new football facility, and they’re one of the first things the eye is drawn to upon strolling through the entrance.
They’re just another thing to sell to potential recruits and make nice little points on handouts to fans and media.
Each year there’s always a little chatter as to whether this game should continue, but then the game comes around and people are reminded.
Perhaps it’s the boozy stupor Iowa City finds itself in during most of the weekend. Whatever the reasoning, this game will very likely never diminish in importance.
In beating Iowa State, the Hawkeyes avoided a trap game and now look even better in the grand scheme of things. A 42-3 beating of another Power-5 school (no matter how bad) is good, and Iowa remains undefeated again.
